Can cats take Ritalin?

rediguana

My girlfriend and I recently acquired a very beautiful female black cat that used to belong to the previous owners of the place we are renting.

We both love her and are very affectionate toward her, but she is prone to violence.

She swats me if I rub her the wrong way and bites me if I go near her when she's sleeping. Scratches are frequent and severe. She also murders a succession of small creatures that live around our house. With the onset of Spring, and an increase in fledgelings etc, I fear the bloody death toll will rise in the coming weeks.

Attacks notwithstanding, her behaviour is generally bold and erratic. She'll beg to be let in and then beg to be let out straight again. She tries to eat our internet connection wire. She has to be physically restrained from eating off my plate.

We do like her, and she's very entertaining (apart from the murders) but we think she's a little disturbed (even her 'miaow' is chillingly different from that of other cats'). Perhaps she has a psychiatric condition, some class of attachment disorder, or sociopathy.

Are all cats like this? I've only had dogs before.

Paul.

franksm

Hey Paul
Here's a great site that's full of info, it might point you towards an answer: http://www.messybeast.com/catarchive.htm

Is your cat neutered ? If not, that would be the first thing to do. If she *is* neutered, it's possible that it wasn't 100% successful, and it's something to ask the vet.

I have had cats since "forever" but have no idea how to train their behaviour (other than litter-training which they either take to or not) - why not book the cat in with your vet for cat-flu antibiotics (€20) and then bombard the vet with questions while you're in there ?

Otherwise, ask these guys, they're always keen to help:

Cats Aid: 01-668-3529
Cats Protection League 01-888-0828

luckat

Here's what you want: Getting Started - Clicker Training for Cats by Karen Pryor

(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1890948144/102-7498580-8161720?v=glance&n=283155)

But you also need to learn that your cat is a cat. Leave her alone when she's sleeping, for a start.

If she bites or scratches you when you pet her, just say "ah, no, lovey" and keep your hand still, and gently withdraw your hand when she's stopped. This usually happens because the cat's nervous - my cat used to bite like billy-o when I first got him (he'd been in a very freaky household) and it's very, very rare now.

Keep her in at night so she won't kill birds.

And yes, get her spayed. Not fair to produce a lot of kittens that will then breed, and produce more, which will end up feral.

If you're serious about the ritalin, I advise extreme caution. Cats have a very different body from humans, and can have horrible reactions to human medicines (for instance, valium can make some cats schizophrenic, apparently).

Arcadian

The 'chilling' meow and the fact that she'll bite if disturbed raises the issue of hearing impairment, i would get her checked out a vets.

The constant in and out, the hyperactivity and wanting your food is pretty normal behaviour for a young cat.

Never give a cat medication intended for human use without veterinary advice.

rediguana

Thanks everyone. I wasn't serious about the ritalin. I shouldn't go near her when she's snoozing either but I just can't help it, as she's just like a teddy-bear, albeit some kind of psychotic one. Cheers! Paul.

luckat

I've had a couple of nervy cats in my time, and have found that if you respect their limits and if you're loving and gentle with them for a while, they'll calm down a lot. But some cats just can't stand being woken suddenly - it really scares them and they react like a small business owner when someone creeps up behind them and shouts "TAX AUDIT!"

hadook

luckat wrote:

If she bites or scratches you when you pet her, just say "ah, no, lovey" and keep your hand still, and gently withdraw your hand when she's stopped. This usually happens because the cat's nervous - my cat used to bite like billy-o when I first got him (he'd been in a very freaky household) and it's very, very rare now.

I have a cat that I would pay good money to see someone try that with. If Sufi Princess bites or scratches you move your damn hand fast! She's getting a lot better about her personal space & allowing us into it but if we'd followed that method one of us would be missing an eye.

All my cats miaows sound different & I can tell who's 'talking' from another room 99& of the time - I wouldn't worry too much about her having a funny miaow.

Short of keeping her indoors there's not huge amounts you can do about the killing of small furries & flutteries if she's determined. Try a collar with a bell - get one of the 'snap' release ones in case she catches it on a branch or something. Since I've kept mine indoors all the time I've woken up to no dead creatures in my bed.

tj-music.com

National Institute of Drug Abuse about RITALIN: Methylphenidate is a medication prescribed for individuals (usually children) who have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which consists of a persistent pattern of abnormally high levels of activity, impulsivity, and/or inattention that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observed in individuals with comparable levels of development. The pattern of behavior usually arises between the ages of 3 and 5, and is diagnosed during the elementary school years due to the child’s excessive locomotor activity, poor attention, and/or impulsive behavior. Most symptoms improve during adolescence or adulthood, but the disorder can persist or present in adults. It has been estimated that 3–7 percent of school-age children have ADHD. Methylphenidate also is occasionally prescribed for treating narcolepsy.

---

Anyway, as a "holistic animal healer" in the making, I would suggest to try these things first:

Larch is often used to tackle the issues of feeling inferior and lack of self-confidence.

If one is strong-willed with a tendency to be domineering Vine can be helpful.

Tiger – Lilly is often prescribed to work on over-aggressiveness and yet Tiger – Lilly itself has been described as a strong aggressive poison, still classed as medicine. Hahnemann himself directed that “the drug” should be proved by females and males alike in order to discover the effect it produced regarding sex.

---

In what form does Ritalin come? Is it liquid and if so is it an oil? Cats cannot metabolise aroma oils and it could lead to toxicity and death - so please be very careful with Ritalin.

Ritalin is often given for children with ADS, well, a cat and a child, however small, are very different.

Dogs, Horses and Humans are way more alike when it comes to metabolism than cats.

I am not a vet but my gut instinct tells me that Ritalin might not be the right choice.

luckat

Hadook, I admit that I don't generally invade other animals' space unless I'm invited, so my advice on scratching and biting is in the context of scratching someone's tummy when they're lying flat out and demanding tummy-tickling, and *then* being bitten and scratched.

I don't think you need to keep cats in all day - the main thing is to try to coax them in before nightfall - especially in spring, when the birds are rearing their young, and hungry parents can be so desperate to find a worm that they can ignore hunting cats on the ground.

As for funny meows, well, cats have various meows that mean different things. For instance, the mrraou chirrup, kind of like the French "R" in the back of the throat, is a greeting. The mkngnaou sound that Joyce mentions is, I think, specifically a *male* greeting.

Then there's the ringing distress call that any cat-owner will know.

And, of course, never mind the sounds, there are the blinks - the winking eye signals, which I've never quite deciphered.

rediguana

I'm impressed with the level of cat knowledge around. It's a wonder my cat even makes it to the end of the day.

Oh yeah, one more question - I'll be moving back to Cork in the summer. Will my cat relocate with me? She seems kind of attached to the place here in Dublin...

franksm

Yeah, she'll easily relocate although you'd need to keep her indoors for six weeks once you get to Cork, before ever letting her outside. If you don't do that, it's not unknown for a cat to traverse many miles getting back to familiar ground.

luckat

Your cat will relocate with you, but you'll have to acclimatise her to the new place.

For a start, when you start packing up the house, this is disturbing for cats. Either lock her in a room by herself with food, water and litter tray while it's going on or put her in a cattery for the duration.

When you arrive, do the same - lock her in a room of her own with food, water, a comfortable place to sleep and a litter tray. Go in and sit with her for an hour or so and read every day.

When she's used to that room, bring her out in your arms and walk her round the house. Bring her back in. A couple of days later, allow her to explore the house (with the outside doors and windows closed).

The old tradition was to butter cats' paws, so that they'd start washing, which calmed them.

When she's got the lie of the house, then bring her out into the back garden in your arms (I prefer not to introduce cats to the front garden and the fact of roads - they'll find out, but I prefer them to think of the back as their natural territory).

Then sit outside with her, while she mooches off and takes a look around. This is the stage where she's at greatest danger of getting lost, so do it on a fine warm day when you can stay outside and call her.

Finally, it's a good idea to train her to come to a silent dog whistle (silent so as not to annoy the neighbours), so you can let her know where you are.

I've done this with various cats in various houses and it's always worked.

RotalicaV

Sounds like a cEarEzy cat, id get her put down.

Arcadian

That's helpful.

skink

Ok looked it up today and asked a few people, ritalin will kill your cat as its metabolism would not be able to cope with it and scary things would happen the cat, to put it nicely!

LegacyUser

Arcadian wrote:

The 'chilling' meow and the fact that she'll bite if disturbed raises the issue of hearing impairment

The chilling meow could also be a sign of a sore throat.
I'd say take her to the vets for a check up.

Shelli

I know that vets can perscribe drugs for overactive, nervy aggresvie dogs and you can even get a milder form of the stuff in Tesco's.

I don't see why you couldn't get something similiar for cats?

bpmurray

I once heard of a cat that shorted her owner's heroin with no apparent side effect. I presume she sneezed it out before it did any damage, but it raises the possibility of a bizarre solution for a very intractible cat.

Nala

Yeah but that doesn't mean you can give the cat drugs. The cat's behaviour is normal enough (my cat can never decide whether she wants to be indoors or outdoors), and if she's left alone while sleeping and not rubbed the wrong way she won't bite or scratch.

franksm

^^^ what Nala says

S'why I love cats, they have a mind of their own and will nearly always fight back if annoyed. No other "pets" do that really. Much more feedback from cats.

rediguana

Final word,

I don't think it would be right to change her personality so I guess I'll forget about Ritalin, Heroin, and that stuff from Tesco.

I can't wait to try applying butter to her paws in the summer. That's gonna REALLY make her mad!

Now that people seem to be so interested, maybe I'll put some photos of her online for everyone to 'ooh' and 'ahh' over. There'd be a small charge, obviously (E32 per month, recurring), but you'd also get an electronic newsletter about her and her cat-capers, and maybe I might issue shares to members that would allow everyone to own a piece of her. Interested? Email me on rediguana@eircom.net and I'll take the money and r..., um, I mean, take your details until I can get the site set up.

Thanks everyone!

ps. I made up the site in the email title, so don't waste your time going to it.

Alun

rediguana wrote:

ps. I made up the site in the email title, so don't waste your time going to it.

No you didn't ... it actually does exist

CookieCat

Why not get her checked over by the vet, as there are many illnesses that manifest as personality changes in cat and if you are still worried contact a behaviourist.They do exist, but I am still not sure about fairies.
Have a look here also www.kittenadoption.ie. The girl that runs kitten adoption is a feline behaviorist and I have met her so she must be real.;)

Claire.

popppy

It sounds like you have my cats twin sister !! We also love our cat but she's a bit off the wall. The vet recommended a plug in cat pheramone thingy... I have to say it has really helped her. It cost about 30 euros, and lasts for about 6 weeks, a good investment considering how it has mellowed her. It might be worth calling your own vet to see if they stock them. We brought our cat back to Dublin from London... she settled in fine ! good luck with her : )

watty

Sounds like a normal cat to me.
Cats are a lot more independant than dogs. THEY decide if you can wake them, stroke them or even come near. You just need lots of patience and learn what your cat expects from you.

If wanted a pet that worships the ground you walk on and always wants petted you should have a dog.

Guinea pigs are a bit like cats in terms of earning their trust and friendship, except the don't bite (except males other males over a female) and don't eat any small furries or flutteries. They will chase birds and tease them though.

Cats are all very different and need to be respected. My cat used to chase collies and catch rabbits and would only tolerate me stroking it. it never let anyone else come within a foot unless it was with a bowl of food. It grew rather large. With personality to match.
No-one ever thought there was anything wrong with it and when it was found stealing chickens and NOT bringing them home, people just reckoned it was smart too.

FlutterinBantam

All this talk about "flutteries" is makin me nervous

gilroyb

Can cats take Ritalin?

Of course not, how would they ever open the bottles without opposible thumbs?

mountainyman

hadook wrote:

... If Sufi Princess bites or scratches you move your damn hand fast! ...:D

If I had a cat like that I'd lock it in a room with my terrier (I hate cats).

To the OP killing small animals is the cats nature. Cats kill things.

They are an ecological disaster tbh.

MM

CookieCat

mountainyman wrote:

If I had a cat like that I'd lock it in a room with my terrier (I hate cats).



MM

Yes and Psychological studies now prove it's mainly men with small appendages who have little self confidence and the urge to control what they can't, who HATE cats the dog/terrier being a small dog is a projection:cool: That's true Studies by Dr's Emslie and Jorgen. 2005.
Claire. X

mountainyman

CookieCat wrote:

Yes and Psychological studies now prove it's mainly men with small appendages who have little self confidence and the urge to control what they can't, who HATE cats

That's me to a TEA.
Tiny appendages (size 3 feet though I am 178cm), little self confidence (only confident when shrunk to less than 3 apples tall), urge to control what I can't (like a cat-but I don't want to control cats).

CookieCat wrote:

the ... terrier being a small dog is a projection 2005.

If she is a projection I am in trouble (not sure with who).
MM

CookieCat

Don't worry after "denial" comes acceptance Unless you turn right and end up at the pyramids.;)
Cat's whats not to like:cool: